Desires and Delusions
by RAfan2421
Summary: In which Daphne Greengrass realizes that Harry Potter won't be there for her forever. HP/DG


**A/N: Just a little one-shot that popped into my head and it begged to be written. So I wrote it while on vacation on my phone. There's no internet here, and I'm writing this on my phone while using 4G to post it. **

**Anyways, I hope you enjoy.**

**Warning: Rated M for language and implied sexual content.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the plot. The writing style is somewhat modeled after the brilliant author "Ava writes". Go check out her story "Glass Ceiling Vignettes" when you get the chance. Also, I did not have a beta for this story, so all mistakes are mine.**

**oOo**

It's 3 AM, and Daphne's gone again. The last time that Harry caught her, she'd been in bed with Malfoy. He didn't speak to her for two months.  
She'd come crawling back, like she always did, saying the same old excuses: Love potions, alcohol, "it was a mistake." Harry's heard it all.  
He doesn't understand why he can't just let her go. She's bad for him. She's using him. Yet, Harry is just unable to find the ability within himself to break it off with her forever. He hates himself for it, he hates this weakness of his. He beat fucking Voldemort, but when it comes to Daphne Greengrass, he's helpless. Everybody that he's ever met has told him that he'd be better off without her. His heart disagrees.

Hermione has spent the past two years trying to find someone for him. So far, only two have even caught his interest enough to make it past the first date.

Su Li was too exotic for him, and she had plans to return to China. His brief relationship with Su Li ended after a third date, and he was welcoming Daphne back into his arms by the end of the week.

Gabrielle Delacour had been too much of a fangirl. She'd hidden it well early on, but Harry could tell that she was more interested in his image than his person. His relationship with Gabrielle ended after a month, and he was once again with Daphne.

Still, Hermione never quit trying.

Today though, today he swears that he's done (it didn't matter that he's sworn the same thing three times now). He swears that he will never, ever look at Daphne Greengrass favorably ever again.

He knows he's deluding himself.

It's 4 AM now, and he's drinking. He has no idea what type of liquor it is, but it's strong. He's hoping that it'll let him forget her. (It doesn't)

He drinks so much that he passes out in the kitchen. Yet, his dreams are still haunted by her. Her face is staring back at him, and it's mocking him.

"You're so easy, Potter. You just can't resist me. But I'll never truly be yours."

Hermione finds him, just like she always does, after he doesn't show up to work at the Auror Department.

They've been through this so many times that Hermione's given up on talking to him. She just stares reproachfully at him while giving him a hangover potion and some food that she's brought.

Right now though, Harry doesn't give a fuck. He's heartbroken, and he's still at a loss for what he wants out of life. He thinks love is a sham, and he absolutely hates...her.

It's two days before he sees her again. She's walking the streets of Diagon Alley, while Harry is on patrol in the Alley.

Harry passes by her, and pretends he doesn't notice her. (It's impossible, she'll always be noticeable)

The man whose arm she clings to, Kevin Entwhistle, is clueless, but there's just the slightest of smirks on her beautiful face.

The burning anger in Harry's chest threatens to erupt, but he's unable to bring himself to physically harm her.

He walks away. (He's unable to keep that look out of his mind for the rest of the week)

A month later, she's at his door again. Harry stares at her coldly, while she stands there, crying her crocodile tears, begging for him to take her back.

This time, Harry tries to slam the door in her face. (Only he doesn't, because Daphne's foot is in the doorway, and Harry is still not able to bring himself to physically harm her.)

This time, Harry Potter will not let Daphne Greengrass take advantage of his weakness.

This time, Daphne Greengrass realizes that she has miscalculated badly.

He was gone. She's able to tell from the look on his face that this time was different. He'd finally figured out how to live her. She'd played with the notion of love one too many times, and her promiscuous nature has finally backfired on her.

She walks away crying, only this time, the tears aren't faked. (She's always loved him, even though she's unable to resist other men)

Harry smiles. Perhaps she'll finally learn.

A year later, the Daily Prophet reported the death of one Daphne Greengrass due to suicide.

A tear slipped down Harry's cheek when he read it.

He's realized that he'll never truly be over her. He's realized that a life without Daphne is infinitely worse than a life with her infidelity.

He goes to the Ministry, and heads off to the Department of Time. He's determined to make it up to her, and to save her from Death.

He finds himself a Time-Turner that the Ministry has restocked since his little stint in the Ministry's Department of Mysteries over ten years ago.

Taking a deep breath he turns the dial back three days.

He tells himself that he'll save her. He tells himself that this time, she'll be faithful to him. (He really isn't sure of what she'll do, but he knows that he can't live without her.)

He arrives in the Ministry three days earlier, and he immediately seeks out Astoria Greengrass, who was working as an Unspeakable at the Ministry.

She tells him that Daphne had relocated to a Muggle home in Falmouth, and that she doesn't want to be disturbed.

Harry convinces her to tell him the exact address, but Astoria warns him before he leaves.

"I don't think she'll be able to promise you fidelity. She's hurt you enough in the past. You need to let her go."

But Harry Potter is stubborn, and he refuses to let the one person who he's ever loved die. (It didn't matter that that particular person has also broken his heart multiple times.)

Astoria looks at him pityingly, but Harry ignores it. He needs to find Daphne, and he needs to save her before she does something really stupid. (His friends always called it his "saving people thing")

Harry pops into existence in the driveway of a quaint Muggle home outside Falmouth.

He's at the door with his fist raised, but he's beginning to have second thoughts.

Then he sees the newspaper article in his mind's eye, and he knows what he has to do.

He knocks twice, before he heats shuffling inside and a soft, feminine voice that he knew all too well call out, "Who is it?"

Harry doesn't know how to respond so he just replies, "Open up."

The door opens and there stands Daphne Greengrass, clad in only a bathrobe, looking terrible. (But Harry still thinks she's beautfiul. He can't think otherwise about her.)

Her eyes were red and puffy, and there were dark bags under her eyes. She'd put on a few pounds, and she looked like an absolute mess.

When Daphne sees Harry standing there in her doorstep, her thoughts of suicide and depression were gone in an instant.

She throws herself into his arms, and she's murmuring incoherently, trying to convey her feelings all at once.

She knows that she isn't making sense, but she just wants Harry to know that she was wrong, and that she loved him.

Harry doesn't know what to say, and he just holds her in his arms.

"I love you." she kept murmuring, clutching Harry so tightly that it was starting to hurt.

She pulls him inside after releasing him from her death grip, and smashes her lips to his. Clothes are flying everywhere, buttons are getting ripped, and Daphne's favorite bathrobe is ripped to shreds.

She doesn't give a fuck though, because he's hers again. He was finally back in her arms.

That night was the best night of their lives.

Early, the next morning, when Harry jolted awake at three AM, he was relieved and overwhelmed when he reached over and found Daphne there. She hadn't left this time.

He pulled Daphne closer, and fell asleep once more. And for once, Daphne's face was smiling genuinely at him in his dreams.

**oOo**

**Thank you for reading. Please review.**


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